Adjusting means for planer cross rails and side heads



F 22 1927. W c. 1.. RICARDS i ADJUSTING MEANS FOR PLANER CROSS RAILS AND SIDE HEADS A TTORNEY m 6 Z7, 7 v

Filed Feb. 23. 1924 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES rArsnrorrlcs.

CHARLES L. nroanns, or PLAINEIELLD, new JERSEY, ssrenon TONILES-BEMENT- .POND COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,,1\T. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

. ADJUSTING MEANS non, PLANER (moss RAILS AND SIDE HEADS.

Application filed February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,691

This invention relates to machine tools and particularly to means for more accurately supporting and adjusting a plurality of tool supporting members.

In planersand like machines, a plurality of tool supporting members, as a cross rail and a tool supporting saddle or side head, are supported forvertical adjustment on one or more uprights. The vertical adjustment of these members is ordinarily accomplished by a screw in each upright. As both members are frequently adjusted over the 153.1116

.portions of the screw, such portions become worn sufliciently to effect the precision of the wear incident to adjusting one member in no way effects the precision of the other member. It'is an object of the invention to overcome the objection statedby providing the planer or like machine with improved adjusting mechanism of this type.

In the construction'above defined, it is obvious that two independent supporting nuts will be provided on each screw, one nut being supported on one thread of the screw and the other nut on the other thread thereof. In assembling these nuts on the screws, it is of course essential that each nut shall bethreaded to engage its respective supporting screw thread. It is another object of :the invention to so construct these elements that these two nuts will always be assembled in their proper relations on the screw.

With the above and other objects'in view, my invention consists in the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In such drawing annexed hereto and forminga part of this specification, I have shown my invention embodied in a planer but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the inven-' t on, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Referring to the figures of the drawing. Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of 'a planer embodying my invention. v

Fig. 2 s an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section showing the two supporting nuts threaded onto one of the upright screws. V

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing one of the nuts about to be assembled into threaded engagement with the screw.

Fig. is a fragmentary View showing the other nut about to be assembled into threaded engagement with the screw.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating a modification of the invention] r In the drawing, 1 indicates a planer table on opposite sides of which are respectively mounted uprights 2 and 3. ,A cross rail 4 and tool supporting saddles or side heads 5 and 5 are'mounted for vertical adjustment on the uprights. The cross rail and side heads are adjustably supported by screws 6 and 6 extending along the uprights. shown more particularly in'Fig. 2, each of these screws is double threaded'to provide two independent threads 7 and 8.

Apair of nuts' 9 and 9' are rotatably mounted in the cross rail 4: and respective-' ly in threaded engagement with the screws '6 and 6'. Each nut has a thread 10 adapted to operatlvely, engage one of the said double threads, as the screw thread? in Fig. 2. Nuts 11 and 11 are respectively mounted in the side heads 5 and 5 and each of such nuts is provided with a thread 12 adapted to operatively engage one of the said double threads, as the screw thread 8 in Fig. 2.

The nuts 9-and 9 can' be rotated by a shaft 13 having worms such as shown at 14' thereon in engagement with worm wheel teeth on the nuts. The nut 11 can be rotated by a vertical shaft 15 operatively connected to a horizontal shaft 16 at 17 the horizontal shaft having a worm thereon engaging worm teeth on the nut. Thev nut 11 can be rotated by a like mechanism.

Since the cross .rail and side heads are supported by independent threads 7 and 8 on the screws, the wear incident to adjusting one of these members will in no way afiect the accuracy or precision of the other member. As shown .in the drawing, the cross rail nuts 9 and 9' engage their yrespective screws in a like manner and the wear 011 each will therefore be substantially equal. The two ends of the cross rail will therefore always he at equalheights-and the rail remain horizontal whatever b0...tl1fi,it(ljll$tment thereof.

When assembling the. nuts .on. the screws, it is of course essential that each nut shall he assembled in a manner to he supported Y on its respectivejserewwthread, namely, the nut 9 to supported on the screw thread 'Zand the nut 11 to (be supported on .tller' screw threads. [In Figs. .3..andfl, 1 haveiillus .trated tlie nutsand screw so constructed that each nut will automatically engageits re speetive screw thread when it assembled by the operator.

"A pin 18 is seated in the nut assembling wend of each screw and aconvolutionuof the screw threadin each nut is slotted to permit the passage .ofthe spinutherethrongh. In Fig 3,.thethread 10 rol -theunut E) is slotted at :19. \Vith these .elements 111 axial .alignment as illustrated in Fig. 3, the nut can he slid axially over .thecnd otthe screw, the pin passingrthrough.the slot 19. In such position; the start- 1O of the thread 10 will be in position ,to .threadedly engage .upon the screwthread 7 when the nut isrotated upon thescrew. In this 1113111191 therefore .the nutis necessarily engaged withits .proper screw thread 7.

. In Fig. 41:, the thrcml 12 of :lhe nut .11 is slotted .ath20. .Witlnthe nut and screw in the axial alignment.illustrated, thelnut can be slidfaxially'over theend of the screw -the pin 18 passing through the. slot- 20. In such position, the: start 12 oi the thread 12 will a he ,in position is threadeglly; engage upon the screw thread 8 when .thelnut is rotatedu pon. the screw. In tlns manner. therefore .the mutt 11 necessarily engaged. withiitswproper:

screw .thread 8.

It should-be undersood thattheiinitial construction of thenuts Jand 11 are identical,..the only diilerence beingthat the slots 19 and 20 areoformed relatively 180 apart in such nuts. Thenutdn Fig. 4 is illustrated: as turned.180urom theunutushown in Big. 3. the. thread at ,the .trontlin position to engage onthe screw thread 8, instcad of. atthe:rear

toiengageeon the screw thread 7 as .illus-. trated in 3. a It V111 lJCtllOted t-hflt While thesnuts are illustrated lIltllG$O. \TlQ;WS as being relatively..rotated .JSO Wthe .slots 19 andQO are both illustrated as heing .at the rear of the nuts.

In some instances. itunay be desirable to supportuihe cross rail on both screw threads 7 and S, the siderheadsheing supportedbn one screw thread only. I have illustrated This difference brings it ithe start .12. .of

such a construction in Fig. 5 and it should beunderstood ,that my invention contemplates this construction and modifications thereof. The nut 21 in this arrangement is of course provided with a double thread. It should no -be understood that while in the drawing I have illustrated and in thespecification I have referred to the screws 6 and 6 as being double' threaded screws, such illustration.andtermsare not to be hereinafter construed as limiting my invention specifically thereto since.ittis ohvious that, a screw with three oiynioiie. threads is entirely withinthe scope of {my inyention.

WVhat I claim is:

an upright, two tool supporting ,iueinbers thereon, a. double threadedscrew extending along the upright, a. nut threadedly yen gag- 1ngthescrewand supporting one jotthe; members, and anothernnnt threadedly engaging one thread ,only oiit'fhelscrew, and support ng the other member.

2. In a niachine.tool,,,the COI'I'IlJJlltlt-lfll'hflf an upright, .twoutool supporting members:

tive rotation between tllfiSGlQWlflIlCl one not,

and l means for :rotating the otherI int.

L111 a; machine toohthe combination .of

an upright, twotool supporting neinbers.

thereon, aidouble threadedscrew extending alongthe upright, aynut engaging; onemhread of the screw and supporting one oi. .the members, another .uut engaging the otherithread of the screw and. supporting. the other member, and-shafts for independentlymutating the two nuts to adjust the; members along the upright.

5. In aiplaner, the coruhinationgof a work table, apairof uprights respectively at opposite sides thereof, a double ,threaded screw extending alongeach upright, across ragilyon the nprights, a .pair of nuts .threadedly [Q11- gaging. the screw. :and supporting the cross rail, a. pair of tool supportingsaddles respectively on the uprights beneathlthct CTQss rail, a pair of nuts respectivelyengaging one thread only ofeach screw and; support ing the saddles, means providing zit-relativ rotation between the screws and cross rail nuts. and means for independently rotating the saddle supporting nuts.

.1. In a machine tool, the combination. of

6. In a planer, the combination of a work table, a pair of uprights respectively at opposite sides thereof, a pair of screws respectively extending along the uprights, one of such screws having a double thread, a cross rail on the uprights, a pair of nuts engaging the screws and supporting the cross rail, a tool supporting saddle positioned on the upright having a double threaded screw, a nut engaging one thread only of the double threaded screw and supporting the saddle, and means for rotating the last named nut.

7. In a planer, the combination of a work table, a pair of uprights respectively on opposite sides thereof, a double threaded screw extending along each upright, a cross rail on the uprights, a pair of nuts respectively engaging one thread of each screw and sup-.

porting the cross rail, a pair of tool supporting saddles respectively mounted on the uprights beneath the rail, and a pair of nuts respectively engaging the other thread of each screw and supporting the saddles.

8. In a machine tool, the combination of an upright, two tool supporting members thereon, a double threaded screw extend ing along the upright, a pair of nuts adapted to threadedly engage such screw, and means comprising a cooperating pin and slot arrangement between the screw and nuts to insure the initial threaded engagement of one nut with one screw thread and the other nut with the other screw thread.

9. In a machine tool, the combination of an upright, two tool supporting members thereon, a double threaded screw. extending along the upright, a pair of nuts adapted to threadedly engage such screw, and means comprising a pin in the screw cooperating with pin receiving-slots in the threads of the nuts to insure the initial threaded engagement of one nut with one screw thread and the other nut with the other screw thread.

10. In a machine tool, the combination of an upright, two tool supporting members thereon, a. double threaded screw extending along the upright, a pair of nuts adapted to threadedly engage such screw, and means comprising a pin in the screw cooperating with pin receiving slots in the threads of the nuts to insure the initial threaded engagementof one nut with one screw thread and the other nut with the other screw thread, the arrangement of the thread convolutions in the two nuts being substantially identical and the two slots therein being sub stantially 180 apart in the respective nuts;

In testimony whereof, I hereto aifix my signature.

CHARLES L. RICARDS. 

